Canon RF 85mm f/2 IS STM Macro vs RF 85mm f/1.2L Comparison (worth 4 times the price?)

Canon RF 85mm f/2 IS Macro vs RF 85mm f/1.2L comparison review. The latter sells at four times the price of the former. Is it worth?

The Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L is one of the boutique lenses for the Canon EOS R full frame mirrorless system, an it gets compared to the $600 RF 85mm f/2 IS STM. Fair? Well, interesting at least since the investigative question is “is it worth to pay 4 times the price for the red ringed one?”.

Alex Barrera wanted to know and with the help of his wife acting as model he compares the two lenses.

Sample files from the comparison are available here. You can follow Alex on Instagram

Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L:

America: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA
Europe & UK: Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon IT, Canon IT, WEX Photographic, Canon FR, Canon UK, Canon DE

Canon RF 85mm f/2 IS STM Macro:

America: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA
Europe & UK: Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon IT, Canon IT, WEX Photographic, Canon FR, Canon UK, Canon DE

RF 85mm f/1.2L key features:

• RF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
• Aperture Range: f/1.2 to f/16
• Blue Spectrum Refractive Optics Element
• One UD Element, One Aspherical Element

RF 85mm f/1.2L description:

Pairing a cherished short-telephoto focal length with an exceptionally bright maximum aperture, the Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM is also characterized by its advanced optical design to produce well-corrected imagery. The fast f/1.2 design excels in difficult lighting conditions and also benefits working with shallow depth of field and selective focus techniques. The optical layout incorporates a Blue Spectrum Refractive Optics element; a specially developed element that helps to nearly eliminate chromatic aberrations and color fringing for notable clarity and color accuracy. In addition to this, an ultra-low dispersion element and one aspherical element are also featured to further control various aberrations and distortion for great sharpness and resolution. Individual elements also feature an Air Sphere Coating to suppress flare and ghosting for high contrast and color fidelity when working in bright and backlit conditions.

Complementing the imaging capabilities is an apt ring-type Ultrasonic Motor, which delivers fast, near-silent autofocus and full-time manual focus override. A unique Control Ring is also integrated into the lens design for intuitive control over exposure settings from the lens itself.

• Portrait-length prime is designed for full-frame Canon RF-mount mirrorless digital cameras.
• Exceptionally bright f/1.2 maximum aperture affords extensive control over depth of field for selective focus applications and also benefits working in low-light situations.
• Blue Spectrum Refractive Optics element virtually eliminates color fringing and chromatic aberrations by refracting shorter wavelengths of the visible spectrum (blue light).
• One aspherical element and one UD element also help to control aberrations and distortions for sharper, clearer image quality.
• An Air Sphere Coating (ASC) has been applied to lens elements to reduce backlit flaring and ghosting for maintained light transmission and high contrast in strong lighting conditions.
• Ring-type Ultrasonic Motor (USM), along with optimized focusing algorithms, a high-speed CPU, and an internal focusing design, is employed to deliver fast, precise, and quiet autofocus performance as well as full-time manual focus override.
• Configurable Control Ring can be used to adjust a variety of exposure settings, including aperture, ISO, and exposure compensation.
• As a member of the esteemed L-series, this lens has a weather-resistant design that protects against dust and moisture to enable its use in inclement conditions.
• Rounded 9-blade diaphragm contributes to a pleasing bokeh quality.